A woman recounts how she was once declared ‘dead’ but was ultimately saved by her dog’s remarkable actions.
Pets can provide us with comfort, but they also play crucial roles during emergencies, especially for those living alone. Vaughn Marshall from Melbourne, Australia, knows this firsthand thanks to his dog Luna.
Last year, while at home, Marshall experienced a terrifying moment when he couldn’t breathe or move. Thankfully, Luna, a Jack Russell, quickly reacted by dashing outside to alert someone. Observers noticed Luna’s unusual behavior, followed her home, and found Marshall in distress. They promptly helped him, leading to his hospitalization where he discovered he had suffered a pulmonary embolism. Marshall attributes his survival to Luna.
A similar story comes from Susan Denker in Wyoming, USA, who experienced a heart attack in July.
On that critical day, Denker’s friend Karen visited but received no answer despite calling several times. Fortunately, Denker’s dog Lily began barking through the blinds to attract attention.
Sensing Lily’s urgency, Karen went to the back of the house and spotted Denker unconscious through a window. She immediately contacted emergency services. Medical professionals determined Denker had a serious heart attack.
Reflecting on the incident, Denker told Cowboy State Daily, “Lily kept barking at [Karen] and then running to the bedroom, and then back to the window and barking at her and again running to the bedroom. She did that four or five times until Karen figured out, ‘She’s trying to tell me something’.”
“If it hadn’t been for Lily alerting Karen, and Karen being wise enough to listen to a dog, I would not be talking to you now, because they did pronounce me dead at one point.”
After spending two months apart during her recovery, Denker and Lily’s reunion was emotional enough to move even the toughest person.
“They took her out of the crate, and she saw me and just went hysterical,” Denker described their reunion. “They put her up on the counter. She wrapped her legs around my neck. She tried to crawl inside my shirt. She licked absolutely every centimeter of my face, my lips, nose, eyes, she gave me a full wash.”
Denker added, “I was holding on to her as tight as I could, and she was holding on to me too.”
If you’re looking for a reason to get a dog, these stories might just be it!